


Night Notes

by inconocible



Series: Colleen Shepard [4]
Category: Mass Effect
Genre: Fluff, Mass Effect 3, Sweet, Vignette
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-06
Updated: 2015-03-06
Packaged: 2018-03-16 13:56:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 466
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3490856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inconocible/pseuds/inconocible
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little scenes, mostly between Shepard and Garrus, during quiet moments. Set in Mass Effect 3.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Night Notes

**Author's Note:**

> otpprompts: Imagine your OTP only communicating in hums, sighs and touches.

It takes some conscious effort, an attentive ear. Sometimes, when she’s really thinking about it, she’ll push record on her omnitool. Later, she discreetly asks Edi to identify the sound, to send her information from research databases on the importance of turian subvocals.

The ones that color his speech feel almost like human tones of voice, are easier for her to pick up. Sometimes, though, there are sounds that don’t have words attached, that come through all on their own. She learns these almost in the same way a pet owner learns to read the animal’s telegraphed mood through the position of its ears.

There’s a particular sound when he’s concentrating, a light ripple, almost. There’s another when he’s in battle - a deep, thrumming growl. When he’s exceptionally annoyed, or worried, or upset, but is trying his best not to show it, she can sometimes hear the faintest grating buzz leaking out from between his tightly-clenched mandibles. 

Perhaps the sounds that lure her in the most, though, are those that she relates to happiness. The lilting rumble of affection and relief as he cradles the back of her head in his hand and leans his brow against hers after a difficult mission. The deep, throaty growl of lust as he pushes her against the fish tank, anxiously undoing the clasps of her armor, nipping at the vulnerable junction of her neck and her ear. The quiet purr of contentment as he pulls her close in bed, nuzzles the back of her neck, draws circles on her hipbone with the pad of his thumb until she falls asleep.

One night, curled under the blanket with her back snuggled against his chest, the peaceful stillness of her cabin emboldens her. She has spent so long, it seems, studying his secret language, listening but never speaking it. She hooks the tops of her toes under his ankle, waiting until she hears the familiar, comforting nighttime purr that tells her,  _I’m here, I got you, I’m happy_. Softly, she mimcs the sound as best she can, with only one larynx.  _I’m here,_  she hums back to him, threading her fingers through his over her ribcage.  _I got you. I’m happy._  

"Well, well, well," he whispers, his voice gravelly with fatigue, but lilting a little with that sweet, affectionate rumble she loves so much. "Someone’s been studying."

He grabs her by the hip, turns her over to face him. Gently, he knocks his forehead against hers. She smiles, repeats the hum, presses a shy kiss to the inside of his mandible. He matches her, harmonizing, running a hand through her hair, brushing the shell of her ear with his thumb. She sighs, pleased with herself, comforted by his closeness.

"Oh, Shepard," he says, after a long moment. "I love you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> Lots more, including headcanon and informal rambling that's not good enough for AO3, haha, at inconocible.tumblr.com/tagged/colleen-shepard.


End file.
